Review: With This Witch

When a friend told me With This Witch was a steamy, magical romance, I was all in and immediately signed myself up to receive an ARC of Isla Winter’s debut novel. It definitely hit the steamy mark but the rest of it didn’t quite thrill me as I wanted it to.

Here’s the book’s description:

A marriage of convenience proves to be magically inconvenient, and no spell will get them out of it or calm their burning desires.
Being a legacy witch comes with expectations, and, unfortunately, when Gammy shares that she’s sick, Petra becomes the front-runner for the role of Premier Witch, a part she’s never really wanted. The inconvenient catch? Traditionally, the Premier Witch must be married, and a combative supernatural council member is only too happy to point out. Petra must now find a husband to prove she is serious about accepting the role. Oh, and she must do it in the next thirty days! If she fails, she loses everything.
Enter bar owner and current delicious demon representative on the council, Lachlan Grace. A close friend of Petra’s, Lachlan, has been drawn to her from the moment she walked into his bar. Battling his own demons from his past and tired of being just friends, Lachlan offers himself as an option for a marriage candidate. Will he be able to move out of the friend zone while also keeping his history in the past?
Now, thrust into supernatural politics with a looming deadline, Petra finds herself questioning what she wants in life, struggling with how to make her Gammy proud and keep in check the pesky feelings bubbling under the surface for a smoking hot demon at the same time. What’s a witch to do?

OK - you have to know that I, like most sane people, don’t love writing less-than-positive book reviews. Especially when they’re novels by debut authors and/or that were self-published. But I don't think it's fair of me to only shout about the great books and ignore the ones that I didn’t love.

I love me some witchy books because I’m always curious about how authors put their own spin on magical worlds, even if said world is like our human one and magical folk are living in it. For the most part, I was totally into the world Winter created. I loved that there were different types of creatures all living in town with the humans, who, for the most part, knew there were magical creatures hanging out around them. I wasn’t totally sure if there were more towns like Leeside or if it was the only one. I also didn’t grasp all of the magical rules - how come Petra could clean up her apartment but had to call Lachlan, a male, to change her car’s tire? - but I liked that there was a focus on spells, potions, and herbs for the witches.

I think a big problem for me was I just didn’t understand anyone’s motivations. I never entirely understood why Petra never embraced her magic, knowing she was going to have to take over from her grandmother eventually. I didn’t quite get why Lachlan didn’t want to go back to the underworld or why he’d have to/felt like he should? That was part magical world confusion and part character confusion. The motivations of some important secondary characters were real head scratchers, which was tricky when they impacted the story SO much (yes, it’s vague but if I mention character names, it’ll be spoiled for you and that would be sad!).

I also just could not grasp the timeline in this book. There were times it seemed like, based on the characters’ feelings on how things were going, that time was ticking merrily along but, in fact, it had been, like 24 hours. And other times when we zoomed along to two weeks later? Somehow? It made my head spin.

I suppose I should also mention the romance in this romance novel, eh? I liked Petra and Lachlan together, even when they were refusing to admit they actually had real feelings for each other. I love fake dating tropes and find fake marriages a bit harder to swallow but the fact that they were friends for a few years prior to having to get hitched? That helped and there was clearly chemistry there. And did you catch me mentioning that this was a steamy book? Whew, baby. I found the sex scenes to be really well done.

Overall, With This Witch was a good read. I’m hopeful Isla Winter can grow stronger as a writer with her second Leeside Witches book as I think she has an interesting and fun idea for her series.

*An egalley was provided by the author in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Small Town, Big Magic

It’s almost Spooky Season which, for me, means cursing the cooler weather (I’m sure I’m a Fall Girl at heart but I hate hate hate saying goodbye to warm weather and knowing snow is coming!), drinking pumpkin beer, and reading witchy books. I don’t particularly love Halloween (other than the tiny chocolate bars) and scary stuff is so not my jam. But novels featuring witches? Especially with a dash of romance? Oh yes. I’m into that. So, I was really interested in Hazel Beck’s novel Small Town, Big Magic which is the start of a new, contemporary magical series. It wasn't the best but it actually was fun to read!

Here's the book’s description:

Witches aren't real. Right?
No one has civic pride quite like Emerson Wilde. As a local indie bookstore owner and youngest-ever Chamber of Commerce president, she’d do anything for her hometown of St. Cyprian, Missouri. After all, Midwest is best! She may be descended from a witch who was hanged in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials, but there’s no sorcery in doing your best for the town you love.
Or is there?
As she preps Main Street for an annual festival, Emerson notices strange things happening around St. Cyprian. Strange things that culminate in a showdown with her lifelong arch-rival, Mayor Skip Simon. He seems to have sent impossible, paranormal creatures after her. Creatures that Emerson dispatches with ease, though she has no idea how she’s done it. Is Skip Simon…a witch? Is Emerson?
It turns out witches are real, and Emerson is one of them. She failed a coming-of-age test at age eighteen—the only test she’s ever failed!—and now, as an adult, her powers have come roaring back.
But she has little time to explore those powers, or her blossoming relationship with her childhood friend, cranky-yet-gorgeous local farmer Jacob North: an ancient evil has awakened in St. Cyprian, and it’s up to Emerson and her friends—maybe even Emerson herself—to save everything she loves.

Emerson was…interesting. Truthfully? She drove me bonkers. But…I still cared about what she was up to? I think I just struggle with people who think they know best and try to manage everyone in their circle. I think what helped me enjoy reading about Emerson was that she wasn’t doing anything because she was cruel. She just figured she knew what was best. And I can’t imagine it would have been easy to find out that everything you thought was true was…not.

I also wasn’t totally sold on the romance in this one. Friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes so you’d think I’d be All In when it came to Emerson and Jacob. But the fact that he was grumpy for no apparent reason (turns out there was a reason) and the whole magic amnesia thing…something didn’t quite work for me. Was I still rooting for them? Duh. I love me a Happily Ever After (or, in this case, a Happy For Now). But the tension just wasn’t quite…right.

I always enjoy seeing how different authors approach magic and what rules they put in place in their worlds. I also always appreciate a nod to the history of witches and Salem and so on. (Maybe that’s the historical fiction lover in me!) I liked that there were different types of witches in Beck’s world and they had different types of powers and they were stronger together with one of each type of witch.

In all honesty, looking back at Small Town, Big Magic has me wondering what, exactly, kept me turning the pages and why I’m looking forward to the second book. I think I enjoyed the broad strokes of the story – the why of the cursed town and what will happen – more than the narrow specifics – the personalities of the characters and so on. I will definitely read the next book in the series but it will be one I’ll borrow from my local library.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Witches of Moonshyne Manor

I hadn’t yet read Bianca Marais before this year, but I had heard from a few trusted book friends that her books were just too good. So, when I had the chance to review The Witches of Moonshyne Manor, which was being described as Golden Girls meets Practical Magic, I hopped on it. And I’m really glad I did! Marais’ latest novel, which published on August 23, is a great, feminist, well-written addition to plethora of witchy books being released lately.

Here's the book’s description:

A coven of modern-day witches. A magical heist-gone-wrong. A looming threat.
Five octogenarian witches gather as an angry mob threatens to demolish Moonshyne Manor. All eyes turn to the witch in charge, Queenie, who confesses they’ve fallen far behind on their mortgage payments. Still, there’s hope, since the imminent return of Ruby—one of the sisterhood who’s been gone for thirty-three years—will surely be their salvation.
But the mob is only the start of their troubles. One man is hellbent on avenging his family for the theft of a legacy he claims was rightfully his. In an act of desperation, Queenie makes a bargain with an evil far more powerful than anything they’ve ever faced. Then things take a turn for the worse when Ruby’s homecoming reveals a seemingly insurmountable obstacle instead of the solution to all their problems.
The witches are determined to save their home and themselves, but their aging powers are no match for increasingly malicious threats. Thankfully, they get a bit of help from Persephone, a feisty TikToker eager to smash the patriarchy. As the deadline to save the manor approaches, fractures among the sisterhood are revealed, and long-held secrets are exposed, culminating in a fiery confrontation with their enemies.

It did take me awhile to get really into this story. It was hard to keep track of each of the witches. They had their own personalities, but I read someone else’s review that said their “voices” weren’t distinctive enough in writing and I think I must agree. There were also a lot of secrets and pieces of information that was being kept from the reader that I didn’t really think was adding to the story in any way. Give me all the details and move on with telling me the current story. Once pieces fell into place, I was able to enjoy the story more and was completely invested in the ride and was desperately hoping the women would be able to save their home and their town.

I love reading magical, witchy books and part of it is seeing how the magic is described and performed. Each of the witches in this book had slightly different types of magic that they excelled at, and I loved it so much. Nothing was overly complicated (other than the game the witches play that even the name escapes me because that scene dragged on for far too long) and it all made sense – as much as magic and witches can make sense.

This novel is intensely feminist without really beating you over the head with it. Kind of how I hope I live my own life, but I don’t think I’m as vocal in my beliefs as these gals were. And that includes Persephone. I hope more teenagers are like this fictional one because that will bode well for humanity.

The Witches of Moonshyne Manor won’t be a book for everyone but I really enjoyed the novel Bianca Marais wrote. It was smart, funny, and magical which is what I ask from every witchy read I pick up. I’ll definitely be checking out what Marais writes next – and probably her backlist too!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: The Book of Magic

It’s been a long time since I’ve read Alice Hoffman’s final book in the Practical Magic series. The Book of Magic was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and I read it in the fall (you know, ~*spooky szn*~) and adored it. I didn’t want the magical story to end.

Here’s the book’s description:

The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over three-hundred years but all of that is about to change. The novel begins in a library, the best place for a story to be conjured, when beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger—the curse is already at work.
A frantic attempt to save a young man’s life spurs three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother, to use their unusual gifts to break the curse as they travel from Paris to London to the English countryside where their ancestor Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art. The younger generation discovers secrets that have been hidden from them in matters of both magic and love by Sally, their fiercely protective mother. As Kylie Owens uncovers the truth about who she is and what her own dark powers are, her aunt Franny comes to understand that she is ready to sacrifice everything for her family, and Sally Owens realizes that she is willing to give up everything for love.

This last book in the series is technically the second book but, after writing Practical Magic in 1995, Hoffman returned to the world of the Owens family in 2017 with The Rules of Magic, the first prequel novel. Then, in 2020, she released Magic Lessons which explained how the curse began. The Book of Magic brings all the (still alive) characters from the books and the most important locations together in a conclusion that was really satisfying (but of course left me wanting more). For those who may not have read this series yet, I would recommend reading in the story’s chronological order: Magic Lessons, The Rules of Magic, Practical Magic, and finally The Book of Magic.

A new generation is introduced in this book with Sally’s (Nicole Kidman in the movie Practical Magic) daughters playing an important role right alongside their mom, aunt, and great aunt. Each woman has secrets that are finally coming to light and it really seems like the curse could ruin the family for good in this book. There are elements to the curse that I couldn’t have predicted and I wondered how the family’s magic was going to survive.

The magic in this book is not over the top. There’s no wand waving. The most overt shows of magic by one character in particular eventually lead to his downfall. The magic is subtle and sometimes seems like it could absolutely exist in the real world. I like that Hoffman doesn’t have overt magic and also that she explores all types of magic. There are some who are gifted with herbs and others that are finders. It’s so interesting.

I also loved that Hoffman pays homage to books, reading, and libraries. It was quite fitting that I started reading this not long after starting school for my library technician’s diploma and a new job at a local public library. The novel started off in such a way that gave me goosebumps and I have to share the first line with you (courtesy of Goodreads):

Some stories begin at the beginning and others begin at the end, but all the best stories begin in a library.

Swoon.

I think The Book of Magic is best enjoyed by those who have loved the Owens family from the start. Read the rest of the books in the series before diving into Alice Hoffman’s latest. You’ll get so much more out of it and will be far more satisfied if you do.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Ex Hex

I know a lot of people loooove *spooky szn* but I'm not really one of them. The fall aesthetic I love? Witches and spells and all sorts of hocus pocus magic. So when I heard about The Ex Hex, just published today, I was all in. I really enjoyed Erin Sterling's witchy rom com and I think a lot of others will too!

Here's the book's description:

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.
That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.
Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.

I wasn't expecting open door and steamy sex scenes with this book but I got them and I was here for it! Rhys and Vivi haven't, exactly, confronted all the issues they had back when they were younger, but there's one thing they know for sure: sexy times are necessary. The only thing that annoyed me was they got so wrapped up in each other that they didn't focus on the curse. HELLO. The town is CURSED. Keep it in your pants for a bit and let's get that hex lifted, shall we? But also the chemistry between them was top notch and I was totally rooting for a Happily Ever After!

Speaking of the curse, the magic in this book was really fun (er, apart from the whole "the town is cursed" thing). I like contemporary witch stories when they're in a town surrounded by humans but still have their covens and ability to do their magic (I don't really love that they have to hide their magic from others though...). I especially liked that there was a college that had both magic and non-magic classes. I think Vivi's hesitation to using magic made some sense - she could only remember her mom hating magic before she died - but I don't think it was explored as much as it should have been. It was a trauma that she wasn't addressing and was avoiding magic so much (even teaching "normal" history classes) but no one seemed too concerned by it. I also wish there hadn't been any references to Harry Potter. I get it, I love the books and Vivi and Rhys are millennials who would have grown up with the books. It's just always so odd to have another magical story get referenced in a magical story. And that doesn't even get into the issues surrounding JKR. But! Magic! Fun! I got a kick out of Vivi's aunt and cousin running a witchy shop that catered to those "normals" who fancied themselves witches. Truthfully, I'd love to find a town just like this and wander around! Though I would hope the toy skulls wouldn't come to life...

I liked that there was a twist with the history of the town and the founding family. That's one aspect of fictional witchcraft that I really like - how there's so much importance with ancestry and heritage, and making sure magic and information is being passed down through the generations. Anyone else love that too? Plus, family is so important and I loved the relationship between Vivi, her aunt, and her cousin.

I think anyone who loves rom coms and witchy stories will love The Ex Hex. Erin Sterling has written a really great novel that gave me just the right Halloween vibes. I'm hoping this will be a series because I'd love to return to Graves Glen next fall! And remember, friends, NEVER mix vodka and witchcraft!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via Edelweiss in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Magic Lessons

I feel like I've always known about the movie Practical Magic. It was released when I was 11 but it wasn't until I was much older that I learned it was based on a novel and it wasn't until three years ago that I finally read the book and watched the movie because I had read The Rules of Magic for Niagara Life magazine, which was the first Practical Magic prequel Alice Hoffman wrote. I loved it and enjoyed Practical Magic too. And the adaptation? Well, it was a good enough movie but as an adaptation it was lacking. My point? I was really, really, really excited when I heard there would be another prequel, this one going way back to the beginning of the Owens family. And Magic Lessons did not disappoint.

Here's the synopsis:

Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Unnamed Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back. 

When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters.

Magic Lessons is a celebration of life and love and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.

I read this book in one night. Partly because I forgot the file was going to expire the next day. (So many books to review, so little time.) But I think I would have binge read it anyway because the story is that addictive.  I was completely sucked into the origin story of the Owens women. I like learning the why and how behind families like this, especially since Hoffman had already given some insight in the last prequel.  

I'm also especially a fan of historical fiction that's about witches. I think I've always liked that kind of fantasy - I recall reading a historical fiction series aimed at teens and my favourite was about the Salem Witch Trials - and I don't read nearly enough of them. (Recommendations are welcome!) I think part of why I love it, when it's done well of course, is because it reads as if witches have always been around and it's usually such a subtle type of magic. Intellectually, I know magic can't exist but authors like Hoffman can make you suspend that belief and you'll find yourself wondering, well, maybe there are still witches around. I felt the same way when I read Deborah Harkness' All Souls Trilogy (and, no surprise, my favourite of that series was Shadow of Night where they go back in time to the 1500s). 

You don't have to read the other books in the Practical Magic series to enjoy this one. There are parallels drawn that will only make sense if you have but given I've read them out of order and it's been a few years since I have, you can dive into Magic Lessons this spooky season and still get an immense amount of enjoyment and satisfaction out of it. 

The characters in this novel are all so flawed but so enjoyable to read. It's like every one of them has a lesson (and not necessarily magical) to teach the reader without it coming across as preachy at all. Maria thought following her heart was the most important thing but she didn't consider the feelings of people she'd allowed to get close to her, who were warning her against her mission because they could clearly see it was not the right path to take. Faith was so intent on revenge that she didn't allow herself to examine the situation from someone else's point of view. 

I just have to say it: what the hell is up with this cover? I don't think I would be at all enticed to pick up this book based on the image. The colours work, I'll give it that, and the image does relate back to the story. But it's just...odd. Maybe it's because I'm not a fan of faces on books? I also don't know if it really matters. Alice Hoffman's name will sell the book.

Magic Lessons was an absolutely wonderful read. Alice Hoffman is such a good storyteller and this origin story of the Owens women is written exceptionally well. I was sucked right into the story and was so sad when it was over. I definitely recommend reading this one - especially during the Fall season.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Half Spent Was the Night

In 2017, my book club read Ami McKay's The Witches of New York and we (mostly) all loved it. Personally, I loved it because it was well-written and such a good story about witches as they could have existed. Harry Potter is great and all but that kind of magic never really seems real (no matter how many of us hope(d) for a letter from Hogwarts ourselves). The magic in the world McKay has created seems entirely possible. When my book club learned there would be a novella that would allow us to see what Adelaide, Eleanor, and Beatrice were up to, we were ecstatic and immediately knew Half Spent Was the Night would be our December 2018 pick.

Here's the novella's (it's only 92 pages!) description:

Beloved author Ami McKay is back, bringing us a magical follow-up in the tradition of Victorian winter tales to her mesmerizing bestseller, The Witches of New York. 
During the nights between Christmas and New Year's, the witches of New York--Adelaide Thom, Eleanor St. Clair and the youngest, Beatrice Dunn--gather before the fire to tell ghost stories and perform traditional Yuletide divinations. (Did you know that roasting chestnuts were once used to foretell one's fate?)
As the witches roast chestnuts and melt lead to see their fate, a series of odd messengers land on their doorstep bearing invitations for a New Year's Eve masquerade hosted by a woman they've never met. Gossip, dreams and portents follow, leading the witches to question the woman's motives. Is she as benevolent as she seems or is she laying a trap. And so, as Gilded-Age New York prepares to ring in the new year, the witches don their finery and head for the ball, on the hunt for answers that might well be the end of them.

The book is subtitled A Witches' Yuletide and I had thought (before reading the synopsis) it would take place at Christmas. Instead, the story begins on December 29 and ends on New Year's Day, with an epic New Year's Eve party in between. (A quick Google search of yuletide also provided some background information - yay, learning!)

The book opens with a line I absolutely love and thought of often during the same time frame last year:

Is that not perfection?

As you'd expect, this book was as well written as the first Witches book. The world McKay has created is so interesting and the characters, the three main witches especially, are so multi-layered and fascinating.

All that being said...I know it's a novella and it isn't supposed to be long buuuut I found it way too short. I could have used more time with the women to really feel like I understood how they were feeling about their lives at that moment and about the mysterious New Year's Eve party. The story almost felt surface level and there wasn't quite the depth I wanted and expected from McKay. Even though it was well written. Am I even making sense? The best I can figure is this story was published to fully wrap up a storyline from the first book and to introduce the next twist. (And holy is it ever an interesting twist!)

The magic at the party was much more...grandiose, let's say, than what you normally encounter with these witches. But, once things wind down and you realize what really happened...you know why it was such a spectacle. I wish that explanation had been explored a bit more because I felt like I was missing something.

I am glad I read Half Spent Was the Night and think that anyone else who loved The Witches of New York should read it as well. It didn't quite satisfy my need for a sequel though so I will continue to impatiently wait for the next full length novel (oh, how I hope there actually will be a next) about these witches from Ami McKay.

*A copy of this book was provided by Penguin Random House in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Witch of Willow Hall

As much as I adore the Harry Potter novels, I usually like my witch stories to be a little more historical (think The Witches of New York) and/or feature more discreet magic (think Practical Magic - the book, not the movie). I was intrigued by The Witch of Willow Hall, Hester Fox's debut novel because it seemed like it would tie into the Salem Witch Trials and feature magic that was more, for lack of a better word, realistic than wand-waving. The magic that did show up was just what I wanted but I needed a lot more of it.

Here's the synopsis:

Take this as a warning: if you are not able or willing to control yourself, it will not only be you who suffers the consequences, but those around you, as well.
New Oldbury, 1821
In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall.
The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline.
All three daughters will be irrevocably changed by what follows, but none more than Lydia, who must draw on a power she never knew she possessed if she wants to protect those she loves. For Willow Hall’s secrets will rise, in the end…

While I know some readers absolutely adored this novel, there was something was a little lacking for me. And I think it was the witchcraft - or lack thereof. Lydia has no idea what's happening to her. She doesn't know why she's seeing things that shouldn't be there or why things seem to happen without her meaning them to. She doesn't recognize it as magic and she fights it for the majority of the novel which means there really isn't much witchcraft in the book. It reads more like a Gothic ghost story than a story about a witch.

While there was a lack of witchcraft, there was an abundance of sibling rivalry. The drama between Lydia and her older sister, Catherine, took over the story. This would be fine if it hadn't been for the expectation that the story would be more about witches than two sisters sniping at each other for 300+ pages. 

The girls (I say girls but they were actually, I think, young ladies. Lydia is mentioned as being 19 and Catherine was older but I definitely wasn't sure and kept thinking of them as much younger for some reason) were also competing for the attention of a young (maybe he wasn't young? I apparently didn't do well on paying attention to the ages of these characters) man. Catherine had a reason (completely and totally messed up but a reason nonetheless) to snag herself a husband and she wasn't being picky. Lydia, on the other hand, was experiencing love that she was certain was unrequited. For a storyline that wasn't mentioned in the synopsis, these romantic (and not so romantic) entanglements take up a lot of the novel. (I'm sorry for all the brackets.)

As hard as I may be on the story, mostly for lacking the witchcraft I really wanted, the story was a good one. I was invested and needed to keep reading to find out how things would end up for Lydia. I felt the ups and downs and whatever else she was feeling right alongside her and hoped she would find a Happily Ever After, or as happy as it could be considering the circumstances.

In reading the author bio at the back of the book, I learned Fox had a background in history and worked as a collections maintenance technician at a museum. That love of history came through as I really felt like I was in 1821. Sometimes historical novels can seem too much like a history textbook but Fox sets the scene without making it seem like she's trying to teach the reader anything. You're completely absorbed in the world she creates.

The Witch of Willow Hall was a good book to read on a Fall weekend (even though we had unseasonably warm temperatures this past Thanksgiving weekend). Even though I wish Hester Fox had given readers more witches and fewer ghosts, I think this is a perfectly Gothic novel to read in the lead up to Halloween.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publishers, Harlequin, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Blog Tour: Goddess Born

Though I don't read them often enough, I really enjoy historical fiction and fantasy novels. So, when the opportunity arose to read Goddess Born, a novel that would include both elements, I jumped at the chance. Kari Edgren's novel was intriguing and kept me turning the pages until the end.

Here's the synopsis:

The power to heal is her divine gift, the fear of discovery, her mortal curse.
Selah Kilbrid is caught between two worlds. A direct descendant of the Celtic goddess Brigid, she is bound by Tuatha Dé law to help those in need. Yet as a human, she must keep her unique abilities hidden or risk being charged for a witch. In 1730 Pennsylvania, the Quaker community of Hopewell has become a haven for religious freedom—and fanaticism—and there are those who would see her hanged if the truth were revealed.
For eighteen years, Selah safely navigates the narrow gap between duty and self-preservation, until the day a prominent minister uncovers her secret. Obsessed with her power, Nathan Crowley disregards her betrothal to a distant cousin from Ireland and demands marriage in exchange for his silence. Selah stalls for time, but when news reaches the Colonies of her cousin’s death, time has run out.
Rather than submit to Nathan, Selah coerces a stranger to pose as her husband. It’s a good plan—her only plan—even though Henry Alan harbors his own dark secrets. But when she returns to Hopewell a married woman, the real fight has just begun. As unseen forces move against her, Selah doesn’t know which poses the greater danger—a malignant shadow closing in from outside or the internal fire that threatens to consume her heart.
Book Two in the Goddess Born series will be published in November 2014 and Book Three in June 2015.

Goddess Born was quite the riveting read. I was interested in the magical element to this novel and wondered how, exactly, Selah's powers worked and what the back story was. Unfortunately, this was where I found the novel lacking. I appreciate that Edgren avoided the dreaded info dump at the beginning of the book and did not give everything away at once. What I wished for, however, were more details about Selah's power. We find out right away that there is something special about her and that she seems to have healing powers. We also know right from the start that she is a "goddess born" but it takes a very long time (almost 100 pages if I remember correctly) before any history is shared. It wasn't that I was confused - I could tell that the power was passed on maternally and had done so for many generations. I was more frustrated that I didn't have the whole story about Selah's powers. I felt like the explanation wasn't dealt with properly and because of that my appreciation for the novel was diminished. 

This novel was an interesting one. I really did like reading it. The time period was interesting - the 1700s - not only from a historical perspective but from a fantastical one as well. It's not often that a novel will include some magical elements and take place in that time period. I think it made Selah's plight all the more stressful, for the reader, because there was a very real possibility that she would be murdered if the truth about her powers came out. Sure, that could happen now but knowing "witches" were actually killed made Selah's fate seem very bleak indeed. I don't think I would have enjoyed this book nearly as much if it had not been historical fiction.

Finally, I want to touch on the romantic aspect of the novel. Edgren did a good job of making sure the story did not stray too much into the typical romance genre. There were times when physical attraction and emotional attachments played a large part in the story but it was always done correctly. There was a time and place for these scenes and they were always well placed. So, of course, I appreciated the good love story! Henry seemed like a genuinely good man and I really hoped he and Selah could work out the various problems they had. 

I'm really happy I got the chance to read Kari Edgren's novel. I'm also happy that Goddess Born is the first in a trilogy. If you're a fan of historical fiction and fantasy as I am, I think you'll really like this one too. 

*A copy of this novel was provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.*

October Chick Lit Challenge Read: When Good Wishes Go Bad

In honour of Halloween I wanted to read something a little magical for this month's Chick Lit Challenge read. I decided on the second book in a trilogy by Mindy Klasky, When Good Wishes Go Bad. I absolutely adored Klasky's trilogy about a librarian who turns out to be a witch (the first book in the Jane Madison series is Girl's Guide to Witchcraft and you should go read it now!) so I was excited when I found out she had started another triology, the As You Wish series.

Read on to find out what When Good Wishes Go Bad is all about, synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

Rebecca Morris is suffering from an excess of magic!
Things that have disappeared: her boyfriend; her life savings; three-and-a-half million dollars from the theater company that pays both their salaries. (Coincidence? Um, no.) Also, the groundbreaking play she's been slaving over has vanished in a puff of copyright-colored smoke.
Other, weirder things that have appeared: a magic lamp complete with genie wishes. A fully furnished (and paid-for) Manhattan condo and fabulous designer wardrobe. (The last two courtesy of the first one, obvs.)
So Becca's putting that last wish on hold. What with discovering a mesmerizing new play, getting it onstage and falling hard for the adorably awkward guy who wrote it, Becca is swamped. And that's without factoring in the guerrilla gardener, popcorn magnate and the gender-bending genie with an agenda of his/her own.
Now Becca's hoping that her good wishes don't go oh, so wrong….

As I mentioned, I loved the Jane Madison series. While I'm not as crazy about the As You Wish series I have still enjoyed them. I think the main reason I don't like them as much is because I was able to identify with Jane a little bit more. The characters in the As You Wish series work in the theatre industry and that's never been something that I've been drawn to. Jane, on the other hand, is a librarian and I know I'm definitely more of a librarian at heart. I had to remind myself to stop comparing the two series but the As You Wish series has grown on me and I really do like them too.

I actually liked the character in When Good Wishes Go Bad a little more than the first novel, How Not to Make a Wish. As bizarre as this may sound, it may be because of one of the wishes Kira makes in the first book. I'm not giving a whole lot away when I say that she essentially wishes for her crush to fall in love with her. It's not natural (because what's natural about a genie making someone like you?) and I think that could be why I didn't enjoy the book as much. In When Good Wishes Go Bad, on the other hand, Becca is attracted to someone and the romance grows naturally, without any magical assistance. Sounds kind of strange but sometimes you can't help what irks you, right? It's definitely not something that would keep me from recommending these books though!

There's a fun little twist to When Good Wishes Go Bad that I was not expecting. It was an interesting revelation and it provided insight into the magical universe. It made the book just that much better and I appreciated it. Ok, rereading those two sentences and that sounds incredibly vague. Sorry! I just don't want to give anything away :)

I'm looking forward to reading the third and final novel in the As You Wish series (I may even do a double feature for the Chick Lit Challenge this month!) even though it will mean the end of an amusing series that I've enjoyed reading. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a little something extra in their chick lit novels - in this case the something extra is a magical gender-shifting genie. These are fun, sweet books and I think any chick lit lover will enjoy them.

Happy wishing...er...reading! :)